pie in the sky

noun phrase

: an unrealistic enterprise or prospect of prosperity
pie-in-the-sky adjective

Examples of pie in the sky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These are reasonable numbers, not pie in the sky, especially with $1.8 billion in Mega money to be awarded this time. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023 So even though DeCosta is undoubtedly calling around, most of the scenarios proposed by fans are pie in the sky. Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2023 All of this means Musk’s grand plans for an everything app seem like so much pie in the sky. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 27 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pie in the sky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pie in the sky was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near pie in the sky

Cite this Entry

“Pie in the sky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pie%20in%20the%20sky. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!